


Rise and Fall of the Sapphire Star

by Queen_Pingu



Category: Monster Hunter (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Lore - Freeform, Nightmares, This is why you don't burn books, With a nice helping of headcanon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:14:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28860903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Pingu/pseuds/Queen_Pingu
Summary: Surpassing a legend is not all that it seems, especially when there's more to the legend then anyone could have known.Or, why the Guild should not hide or burn information about Black Dragons.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	1. The Rise

It's not everyday you go up against a living legend, especially one so feared and revered like Fatalis. Information on it had been incredibly scarce, the Guild of the past burning all records of Castle Schrade's destruction and classing Fatalis as a myth, nothing more. The Hunter sorely wished they could go back into the past and punch whoever had made that decision. With Aiden injured back at camp and the rest of the Fifth still arriving, The Hunter and Moogle were all that stood between Fatalis and utter destruction. Fatalis, for its part, seemed very determined to make sure nothing of The Hunter remained, continuously swiping its claws when The Hunter got too close, breathing it's intense fire in a wide area, forcing The Hunter to dive out of reach, blasting fireballs at the Roaming Ballista which The Hunter barely dodged. Out of stamina, The Hunter could only look on in terror as Fatalis reared up to launch another fireball.

Only to seize in place as electricity coursed through it's body. Moogle, The Hunter's faithful and ever loyal Palico, had managed to paralyze Fatalis. Taking this opportunity, The Hunter swung their weapon with what strength they had remaining. They felt more then saw one of Fatalis's horns break, the Black Dragon rearing it's head and letting out an ear rupturing roar. It took to the skies above the ruins of Schrade, and a scream from the Handler told The Hunter to run to the last barricade, the lever should work. Fatalis let out a blast of blistering fire, and The Hunter barely managed to put up the barricade before they were scorched completely. A few seconds to rest, The Hunter bites into a Max Potion, whilst Moogle plays a song to increase The Hunter's strength. The Hunter sharpens their weapon to perfection, and as the barricade comes down, takes out their Temporal Mantle, a gift from the Smithy for taking on a Lunastra months ago. 

The Handler lets them know that the Dragonater will be ready shortly, the last hope they have to really hurt Fatalis. They rush forward, The Hunter grabbing a Binding shot for the Ballista whilst Moogle played another song, this time making The Hunter feel more energized, like they could run for longer. They manage to dive out of the way of a fire breath, and with shaky hands, The Hunter shoots a Binding shot, pinning Fatalis, but for how long The Hunter did not know. Clawing onto Fatalis's head, they get a couple good hits before having to roll away from a claw swipe. Another ear rupturing roar, Fatalis charges it's whole body at The Hunter, and they are flung back across the courtyard. Getting back up with a Mega Potion in hand, the Handler lets them know that it's time, the Dragonater is ready to use. This was it, the all or nothing moment. With the Temporal Mantle's power gone, The Hunter removes it and stows it away. 

They sprint towards the lever, but is hit hard by Fatalis swiping it's tail. Still managing to get up, they bite down on an Ancient Potion, the sweet medicine fully rejuvenating their body as they continue to sprint for the Dragonater. They reach the top and grab the lever, waiting for the perfect moment. Fatalis launches a fireball that The Hunter manages to dive away from, and then uses that opportunity to charge at The Hunter again. Getting back up from their dive, the Hunter reaches for the lever as Fatalis is almost upon them, and pulls. 

The sound of ancient gears grinding is all they hear before a scream of agony is heard from Fatalis, who collapses onto the floor. The Hunter grabs their weapon, and swings with all the strength they have left. Another familiar breaking sound is heard, and they hear the Handler confirm that Fatalis's power is weakening. They have a chance, they might actually be able to do this. Fatalis gets back up, and immediately takes to the skies to blast intense fire at The Hunter once more. At the Serious Handlers advice, the hunter rushes to underneath Fatalis where the fire doesn't reach, and after a quick Mega Potion is back to a good fighting condition. Fatalis descends, and The Hunter and Moogle both attack at once, with The Hunter attacking the lit up chest, stabbing their weapon to where they hope the creatures heart is.

It works, Fatalis lets out one more roar before collapsing onto the ground, unmoving. The Hunter and Moogle maintain their stances for a few seconds more before they relax. They had done it, they had saved the world from Fatalis. Silence rings around the courtyard for a moment, then a thunderous sound of cheering is heard from camp. Wingdrakes descend down, with The Handler, Commander and General all coming down to congratulate The Hunter for doing the impossible. The Handler tackles them into a hug, whilst the Commander puts a hand on his shoulder.

"You did a phenomenal job, Sapphire Star". 

The Hunter had to choke back tears at that, and instead hugs the Handler tighter. More people come down on wingdrakes to congratulate and thank The Hunter, with researchers coming down to begin logging and recording anything that they can. The Hunter lets go off the Handler, and asks her if Aidan will be okay.

"He got really lucky, there won't be any permanent damage. A bit of rest and he'll be A-Okay. Guess his luck extends beyond finding materials huh." she says with a smile. The Hunter smiles and nods, relieved that Aidan hadn't died saving them. With one last look at the corpse of Fatalis, they hook onto a wingdrake and head back to camp. After resting and tending to the most serious of wounds, and with plenty of materials gathered from Fatalis, the Commission leaves the ruins of Castle Schrade and heads back to Seliana.

The celebration held on their return was astounding. The Grammeowster pulled out all the stops, and between her and her team produced a truly monstrous amount of food. Drinks flowed easily, with more and more people dancing as the night went on. The General spoke to many hunters about how the slinger worked, and agreed to take a training quest in how to use it. The Smithy, Handler, Commander, Field Team Leader, Admiral, Tracker, Seeker, Huntsman and Third Fleet master drank a truly impressive amount of alcohol between them. The Serious Handler had opted out of joining the celebrations, instead spending the evening helping Aidan recover. The Hunter and Moogle spent the night hearing words of thanks, congratulations and requests for teaching from many young hunters, all they did was smile and accept the praise. Eventually though they grabbed Moogle and headed to their chambers, exhausted from all the attention. 

Morning came, and even though some hunters had passed out in the Gathering Hub, morale was at an all time high. The Steam Works were in full swing, the Provisions Manager giving out orders to a group of people and even the Elder Melder seemed to be working quicker today. The Hunter walked through Seliana, greeting people they walked by as they approached Aidan, standing by the canteen. As they approached, Aidan smiled and pulled them into a side hug. 

"Hey if it ain't the hero of the hour. Taking down Fatalis, they're gonna write songs about you, the fabled Sapphire Star who saved us all" he smirks, laughing when he sees The Hunter grimace at the thought of songs being written about them. They ask Aidan if he should be up and about yet, to which he laughs again. "Don't worry about me, it'll take a lot more then that to keep me down. Besides, I promised my mentor I'd go visit him and tell him all about the New World, and I'm not one for breaking promises". he smiles, then goes still and looks horrified. "Wait... I forgot to book my vacation leave"! he groans, face palming and looking down at the ground. The Hunter laughs and bids him goodbye as Aidan rushes off to speak to the Field Team Leader. 

The next few days are rather quiet in Seliana, it seemed even the monsters are relaxing now Fatalis has been dealt with. The Hunter spent this time recording down everything in their hunters journal, speaking with the researchers about what they had found and improving relations with the local Grimalkyne tribes. On the fifth day, the Smithy sends for The Hunter to come by as soon as they can. After speaking with the Felyne Researcher about some photos they had taken, The Hunter walks into the blacksmiths and the Smithy seems delighted to see them. 

"There you are Fiver, I've got one heck of a present for you, wait there just a second". He pulls out five pieces of armour, all beautifully crafted and yet, The Hunter felt a sense of unease looking at them. "The researchers had way too many materials left over so they gave 'em to me, and I thought, what better way to thank you then by giving you the armour of a Black Dragon, and my finest work yet if I say so myself". The Smithy picks up the chest piece and gives it to The Hunter. "Go on, try it on, I wanna see how it looks on you". The Hunter thanks the Smithy and accepts the armour, heading back to their chambers to change. 

The armour fits like a second skin, and The Hunter has to agree that the Smithy had outdone himself on this. The overall look is elegant, yet strong. The sense of unease The Hunter has about the armour is blown away by the sheer power they feel whilst wearing this armour. They feel like they could do anything, take on anyone who dared challenge them. Yet, they also felt a fear they couldn't describe, like something was coming and they didn't know what. They chalked it up to leftover adrenaline, and left to show the Smithy his handy work. 

Inside their heart, a transformation was already taking place.


	2. The Fall Part One - Insomnia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The defeat of Fatalis was meant to bring a happy, peaceful time for everyone. Instead, The Hunter finds themselves tormented by nightmares, a fear they can't explain, and a thirst for blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was intended to be a one chapter thing, but then more and more ideas kept popping up. I'm so sorry.

The Smithy was thrilled at how well the armour fit The Hunter, poking and prodding to make sure not a single thing was out of place, too big or too small. After about ten minutes of the Smithy complimenting his own work, The Hunter politely reminded the man that they had duties to perform. The Smithy let out a hearty chuckle, and with a particularly hard pat on the back sent The Hunter on their way. They met with Moogle outside and headed towards the council tent, hoping to get some actual work in today instead of just help the Lynian Researcher. Not that the Hunter had anything in particular against them, but taking pictures of Palicos grew tedious after a while. They entered the tent, finding just the Field Team Leader inside, looking deep in concentration at the map on the table. At their approach, he raises his head and smiles at The Hunter, gesturing them to come closer. 

"Just the person I wanted to see, got a job for you. A research team in the Coral Highlands are in need of a hunter to take out a Pink Rathian in the area, it's been causing them quite a bit of grief apparently. Your Handler has already packed the supplies for the journey, shouldn't be much trouble for you right?" he says, looking at The Hunter and giving them a quick look up and down. "I see the Smithy has already given you your present, good. This should be a nice test run for it, see how well it actually works. Good luck out there hunter." He turns back to the map on the table, placing pins in places and drawing lines. The Hunter takes that as a clear dismissal, and leaves the tent to look for the Handler. As they do, they feel another wave of pure fear, and they swear they can hear the sound of screaming. Looking around, they see that no one has reacted. Moogle looks up at The Hunter in concern. They reassure Moogle that they're fine, and head to the canteen to meet with The Handler, grabbing one final meal before their departure. 

The journey from Seliana to the Coral Highlands is a long one, and the group are forced to camp overnight in the Wildspire Waste lest they cause their wingdrakes to pass out from exhaustion. The Handler takes care of cooking dinner for the three of them, and after cleaning up and talking about menial things for a while, the Handler excuses herself for the evening, heading to the tent to sleep. Moogle does the same after a short while, and The Hunter is left outside alone. The creeping fear comes back immensely, and they jump up, grabbing their weapon, fully expecting an attack. Nothing comes towards the camp, and The Hunter takes deep breaths before sheathing their weapon, trying to work out just why exactly they felt so on edge lately. They brewed some tea to try and calm themselves, which works to an extent. The Hunter washes the cup, changes out of their armour and heads into the tent, hoping to relax and catch some sleep. 

_The dream starts off simple. They're a young warrior in a beautiful castle, running with some people that they don't recognise. They hear the sounds of orders being barked, and multiple people carrying ballista and cannon ammo pass them, all heading to different places in the courtyard. The sounds of hammers and saws ring loudly, as a construction team are building a barrier as fast as they possibly can. Higher up, a group of people are working on what seem to be the finishing touches on the Dragonator. A young warrior and the people they were running with arrive at the armoury, and warrior equips themselves with a pair of teal Dual Blades and puts on armour that they don't recognise. Screams can be heard from the courtyard, and the group rush off there immediately. Fatalis flies overhead, and a man wearing crimson armour barks out orders for the people on Ballista to hold fire and wait for his signal. The warrior and their group take position near the first barricade. On their left, a heavy bowgunner makes sure her clip is fully loaded and on their right, a hunter with a longsword makes sure his weapon is as sharp as possible. Three more warriors stand with them, each checking their equipment and preparing themselves, both physically and mentally. The warrior bites down on an Adamant seed. The tension in the air is thick, everyone waiting for Fatalis to act. There's silence, the air itself goes still, and Fatalis lets out a roar that could pierce the heavens, before flying down to attack. The man in crimson armour yells for the cannon team to fire, and a storm of cannonballs rain down on Fatalis. The Ballista team fire everything they have, whilst the group of six rush forward with a battle cry to fight._

_The fight initially goes in their favour, but then the full force of Fatalis's power makes itself known. A wave of fire breath takes out those manning the cannons on the south side. A young bow wielding warrior is grabbed by Fatalis's claws and slammed into the ground. She does not get back up. Two more warriors fall to a devastating fireball, the sounds of their screaming as they are burned alive are audible even above Fatalis's roar. The heavy bowgunner manages to successfully bind the Fatalis down using a ballista, but she is soon grabbed by Fatalis's jaws and swallowed whole. Fatalis's mighty tail swipes knock back the reinforcements that arrive, knocking down part of the castle and burying them underneath rubble. The warrior and the longsword wielder manage to deal some damage to Fatalis, but the longsword user is yanked out of the air by Fatalis. Instead of slamming him into the ground however, Fatalis slams him into his molten chest, and warrior looks on in horror as his comrade is melted onto Fatalis's scales, the screams they hear causing them to freeze up in terror. Alone on a ruined courtyard, with everything around them in rubble and flames, the warrior watches as Fatalis takes to the sky, flying in place for a few seconds. The man in crimson armour yells for the warrior to fall back, but they find themselves unable to move. They can only look on as Fatalis inhales deeply, and lets out a blast of blue flame. The flame is approaching the warrior, they can feel the heat about to_

The Hunter screams as they awaken, shooting up in a cold sweat. They breath heavily, running a hand through their hair. Moogle and the Handler come rushing to their side, Moogle carrying some water for The Hunter, which they take with gratitude. After they finish their drink, they answer the Handler's questioning on what happened. A nightmare, they explained. After everything they had seen and been through in their career as a hunter, it was no surprise that their sleep would be troubled. When asked what the nightmare was about, The Hunter lies and says they can't quite remember, and that seems to be good enough for The Handler. She suggests making the group an early breakfast, with daybreak hitting shortly it means that The Hunter would be able to get to work quicker. When The Hunter agrees, she leaves the tent to get started, leaving Moogle with The Hunter. Reassuring their partner that they were fine, truly, it was just one bad dream, The Hunter gets ready for the day, and puts on their armour. 

With breakfast over and done with, The Hunter frees their scoutflies to track the Pink Rathian, and calls on a Raider Ride to get them there quicker. They arrive to see the Pink Rathian in a turf war with a Legiana, so The Hunter waits for the moment they stop fighting to strike. Surprisingly, the Legiana gets the upper hand in their fight and then flies off, and the Pink Rathian falls to the ground. Taking that as their queue, Moogle and The Hunter leap into action. The Pink Rathian recovers and the fight truly begins. The Hunter marvels at how, even with the Pink Rathian getting in some good hits, the armour makes it so they feel very little actual damage being taken. They feel like they could continue fighting for longer then they ever have, and they are taking delight in seeing the Pink Rathian bleed. 

A particularly bad tail flip renders Moogle unconscious, and that triggers a fury inside The Hunter, one they've never felt before. They attack with no remorse, no regard for the life in front of them. All they desire to see is this Pink Rathian dead beneath their feet. The Pink Rathian, in face of The Hunters assault, attempts to retreat. With a blood curdling war cry, The Hunter clings onto the Pink Rathian using their slinger, and attacks until they both fall to the ground, the Pink Rathian slain. The Hunter stands there, unmoving, before letting out a laugh, which evolves into maniacal laughter. After one final stab to make sure the Pink Rathian was really dead, The Hunter heads back to where Moogle lay unconscious still. Picking them up, they head back to camp to report their success to the Handler. Tending to Moogle's wounds, she congratulates The Hunter on a job well done. Later that evening, a Third Fleet airship picks them up and brings them back to Seliana. 

On their return, Moogle is taken to the infirmary, just to make sure the was no lingering poison in their body. The Handler heads straight to the council tent to give her report, and The Hunter heads straight to their chambers, giving a passing greeting to the Provisions Manager as they walk by. When they reach their chambers, a small gift basket had been left for them by the Serious Handler, containing dried fruit imported from Val Habor. Smiling and making a mental note to thank her later, The Hunter changes out of their armour, tends to the garden and to the Wiggler Queen before collapsing on their bed and wishing for a full nights good sleep. 

_This time they're in the ruins of Schrade, with a team of hunters they don't know. The guild considered them the best of the best, all hunters who had defeated an Elder Dragon threat to their lands and had dispatched them to defeat the threat at Castle Schrade. With them this time was a greatsword user in full Teostra gear, a Light Bowgunner in full Kirin gear and a Lancer, wearing full Rusted Kushala Daora gear. This time, The Hunter is wearing the armour of a Dire Miralis and wielding a Sword and Shield. They walk around the ruins of Schrade, taking care not to disturb the corpses that remained. The Light Bowgunner notices that the sky around them has grown dark, and looks up. She sees the Fatalis flying high above them. She calls for everyone to ready themselves, and they all group together, ready to take on Fatalis._

_The creature lands and they all launch their attacks, the Greatsword user delivering clean decisive blows, the Lance user managing to block Fatalis's claws and strike at it's horns, the sword and shield user ducking and weaving between attacks, landing clean hits. The Light Bowgunner loaded her clip with Sleep ammo, hoping to set up a huge explosion to it's horns whilst it was unconscious. For the most part they are doing well, no one had taken any massive hits yet, they were working incredibly well as a team and Fatalis was showing visible damage. Then the tides turned heavily against them. Fatalis rears up and breathes out blue flame. The lancer manages to shield The Hunter, but the greatsword user and the bowgunner are unable to get out of the way. When the flames subside, the two remaining hunters see a charred pile where there comrades used to be. Fatalis goes on all fours, and charges towards the two hunters. The Hunter manages to dive out of the way, but the lancer is crushed underneath Fatalis's weight. The Hunter rushes at Fatalis with a cry, and manages to avoid its claw swipes. They aim directly for the eye, but before they are able to land a hit, Fatalis grabs them in it's jaws and throws them back onto the ground. The pain is agonising, and The Hunter hears the creature close in, ready for the kill. They look up, and see sharp teeth descend on them._

The Hunter awakens with a startled cry, breathing heavily and clutching at their sheets. They still hear the faint sounds of screaming. They spend a couple of minutes trying to control their breathing, feeling their heart pounding in their chest. They stand up and head out into the garden, hoping the fresh air would help. They sit down on the bench by the pond, feeling the cold of Seliana's night. They didn't know what was happening, the fear, the nightmares, the fury against that Pink Rathian. Something was happening, and they were terrified as to what. Under the starry sky of a cold Seliana night, alone and fearing the future, The Hunter begins to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the Rise demo was absolutely fantastic, they really beefed up Hunting Horn now. 
> 
> #I played HH before it was cool


	3. The Fall - Madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you feel you're becoming a monster, what would you do to protect those that you love?

To say that the researchers of Seliana were stuck would be an understatement. Never before had they seen such a drastic change in a person, going from calm, collected, capable hunter to being scared of the smallest movement. Yet that was exactly what was happening to their Sapphire Star, and so it was that they had dedicated all their available resources into working out what exactly the reason behind this was. Not for the first time the Head Researcher was cursing the guild of old for not keeping the research that had been done when Schrade first fell. So far him and his team had three theories as to what was happening

\- One, the spirits of Castle Schrade had latched onto their Sapphire Star, their fear from what had happened causing them to go insane

\- Two, energy given off from Fatalis has attached itself to their Sapphire Star

\- Three, the armour is proving to powerful for them to handle

As a precaution, they have advised the Hunter to remove the armour and not put it back on, although that doesn't seem to have helped. They have also advised that they drink a special tea that causes a dreamless sleep every night, as well as regular meditation to clear the mind. The results of this advice have yet to be seen, though the Head Researcher thinks that it won't help much. Whatever is plaguing the Hunter, it's not going to go away via tea and meditation. Taking a bite from his apple, he gets back to reading what limited information on black dragons there is. 

The Hunter knew something was wrong with them. Very, very, very wrong. 

They could feel it, from the fear that dogged their every breath, to the screams that chased their every waking moment, to the new and alarming thirst for blood that had emerged from nowhere. No matter what they tried, it always came back to haunt them. The tea given to them from the researchers helped a little, but in the end they always dreamt of the bloodshed, seeing numerous people they had never met before die in their dreams. The meditation offered no help, the screams too loud to be able to focus. They were growing scared of going outside, fearing that they would bring harm to those in Seliana without meaning to. But the Hunter knew they had to do something, anything to either save themselves from this curse, or to save the others from the monster they felt they were becoming. So, with their mind made up, they waited for night to fall, for Seliana to fall silent, before leaving a letter for Moogle. 

_My dearest Moogle,_

_Ever since you demanded to come with me back in Val Habour, you've been a stalwart companion and friend. Always at my side regardless of what is happening, whether we're out hunting, relaxing with some fishing or listening to ridiculous stories at the gathering hall, you've been with me the whole time._

_Which is why I must apologise to you now, but you cannot come with me for this. I am leaving Seliana, maybe for good. I plan to find a solution to what's happening to me, and I think it's out there, but in case it isn't, I do not wish for you to see me descend fully to madness. I won't say where I'm going, but know that it pains me to have to leave you behind. If I do not come back, please do not blame yourself. Live free, for yourself._

_One more thing, tell everyone in Seliana that I'm sorry, truly sorry, but I fear that nothing they can offer me will save me. It is no fault of their own, it's just how it is._

_Please, take care of yourself Moogle. If the gods are kind we will meet again._

_Hunter._

Leaving the letter on the table next to their bed, they grab their gear, strapping on their slinger one last time before leaving Seliana. Where they went next, is unknown.

The morning after is absolute chaos. Every available hunter is sent out to search for the Hunter, with Aiden and Moogle personally leading the search. They search for weeks, with the Field Team Leader sending a letter back to Astera asking them to look as well. Yet nothing is found. No leads, not a single clue. Morale falls hard in Seliana, with the loss of their best hunter the people worry who will be able to defend their home from yet unknown threats. It isn't until the Admiral single handedly fights off a Rajang wandering the Hoarfrost Reach that morale picks back up. Hunters start training harder then ever to defend their home, the Smithy fires up once more and crafts new equipment at an alarmingly fast rate and Aiden, once the young Ace Cadet, is now regarded as the Ace Hunter for Seliana. 

Life goes on in Seliana, although the Sapphire Star is never forgotten. Moogle, in keeping with his Hunters wishes, lives for himself, working with the Handler and helping her with her research. The council get together every so often to remember everything that the Sapphire Star did for them, and drink heavily in their memory. New hunters are trained, new legends are written. The wyverian researchers made sure to record every detail about Fatalis, to serve as a warning for any future black dragons. They vow to never allow these records to burn, for had they access to the guild of olds research, they might have been able to save their Hunter. Whilst they still do not fully know what it is that happened, they only hope that what they have recorded will help those in the future.

_Unbeknownst to them all, at the peak of the mountain in Hoarfrost Reach, near the corpse of a Rusted Kushala Daora, a small baby Fatalis lies sleeping. Dormant for now, and dormant it will remain for generations, until the last of those that remember the Sapphire Star have passed away, when Fatalis is once again regarded as an old fable. Only then, will it awaken, and once again bring death and destruction to the land it once called home._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya I'm not dead (yet), however life did decide to throw me multiple curveballs back to back so uh, sorry about that folks. Here is the finale, sorry again it took so long.

**Author's Note:**

> Monster Hunter has some incredible lore if you want to dig deep into it, especially in regards to the Black Dragons. 
> 
> Depending on how graphic I make next chapter, rating might change to mature, warning you now.


End file.
